On this blog, I talk a lot about practical things - saving up an emergency fund, budgeting like a boss, and specific tips and tools for getting ahead financially. That’s all helpful stuff and I’m happy to provide some guidance and resources to help you.

Do you know why I’m really here, though?

I want you to feel less sh*tty about your money.

I want you to feel more freedom and choice around your money.

I want you to feel less panic and more peace.

I want you to sleep better at night.

I want you to stop living beyond your dreams.

One of the best ways to achieve these things, that very few folks talk about, is a one-month money buffer. This is also referred to as living on last month’s income.

Sometimes I get stuck. I get overwhelmed. I get anxious. I worry about how I’m going to get it all done. I convince myself that that’s it - I’ve had the last customer I’ll ever have and I’ll officially be outed as a colossal failure. I think that life is often like this, especially as a small business owner; huge ups and huge downs. Exhilarating moments followed by crushing self-doubt.

I see this a lot with clients and readers, too. I did a survey a while back and a few words came up over and over and over. Stuck. Overwhelmed. Anxious. Nervous. Depressed. Frustrated. Inadequate. Does that sound like how you feel about changing your approach to money?

It’s important when making a change to know where you’re starting from. If your goal is to get a faster running pace, the next question is: how fast do you run now? If your goal is to lose weight, “how much?” comes naturally.

So when your goal is to improve your finances, you have to know where you’re starting from.